Method of clamping logs in crosscut-sawing machines



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN WOODARD, OF NEW LONDON, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

METHOD OIF CLAMPING LOGS IN CROSSCUT-SAWING MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 18,066, dated August 25, 1857.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, STEPHEN WooDARD, of New London, in the county of Merrimac and State of New Hampshire, have invented a novel and useful Machine for Sawing Wood; and I hereby declare that the following specification, in connection with the accompanying drawings and references thereon, constitutes alucid, clear, and exact description of the construction and use of the same.

In referring to the said drawings, Figure l, denotes a plan or top view; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3, an end elevation of it. Fig. 4 denotes a section on line A, B, Fig. 3, to show the carriage groove in the posts.

Invention-The nature of my invention consist-s in the manner of holding the wood by toggle joints, and arms connected thereto, firmly while being sawed, and the arrangement whereby the act of raising the saw, after it has finished its cutting, will also operate upon the toggle joints to raise or move them, and liberate the wood, that it may be again sawed after being moved to give the desired length.

Construction- To enable persons skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to construct and carry out the same I will describe it as follows:

The purpose of my within described machine being to saw cord wood for burning, I construct a frame of wood seen at A, in the several figures of the drawing. The

Vposts in the elevated portion of the frame A, are grooved as seen at B, Fig. 4, perpendicularly on their insides. To these grooves is fitted the carriage C, so that it may freely slide up and down. To the lower portion of this carriage, an arbor I is attached so as to freely swing therein, and to this arbor I connect the saw frame D and E, which is constructed of wood, the top piece being made crowning as seen in Fig. 2, and near to its center and on it-s under side is framed two curved pieces of wood with their lower ends standing sufliciently far apart to receive the segmental saw F, held in the frame by the pins c. The ends of the top piece D each project beyond the piecesE, see Fig. 2,

Vand through each of these ends a wire rod with thumb nuts seen at H, by which the saw F, is strained effectually for use while the lower ends of these rods are secured to the pieces E, by both heads on these rods. By the peculiar construction of this frame and the peculiar action these rods G have on this frame the saw is conveniently and thoroughly strained. Thus the whole saw frame and saw swings or is swung on pivots a, at each end of the arbor I, which pivots turn freely in the perpendicular or end piece of the carriage C, to prevent the saw F, frame D and E, and carriage C from descending too fast when sawing the wood. A weight seen at J is attached to the end of the cord K, and the end of this cord passed up over two friction rolls L, turning on pins M, and thence down and connected to the top of the center of the carriage D and E. By this arrangement the weight of saw, frame, and carriage to which it is attached sufliciently preponderates over the weight J to give the saw the desired pressure downward to properly saw the wood, which effect will be readily seen.

I construct a crank shaft seen at N and fit it so as to be freely revolved in the boxes or bearings OE To this shaft I attach a balance wheel A3 to one of its ends and a pinion gear B2 to the other end, which is geared with and driven by the spur-gear P, on the drive shaft Q, which is suspended to freely revolve in the frame A, and above the shaft N. To the out end of the drive shaft Q. is secured a crank A2 by which my machine may be put in motion by hand, or a drive pulley may be substituted for propelling it by any known motor.

At the back end of my machine I erect a post, seen at R, to the top of it is adjusted the top of the vertical arm C2 so as to freely swing on the pin or stud S. Near the lower end of this arm there is a mortise formed into which one end of the horizontal connecting rod T is placed and held to freely swing by means of the pin U. The other end is connected by the pin V to the saw frame D and E, as seen at Fig. 2. Another connecting rod W connect-s at one end with the crank shaft N and at its other end with the connecting rod T. By this arrangement an easy direct movement is imparted to the saw as will readily be seen.

I construct three or any desired number of holders for holding the wood while being sawed, as seen at X.

Different shapes are given these holders that they may hold large or small sticks of wood firmly. These holders are provided with teeth, seen 'at e, which in conjunction with the teeth f, on the trame A hold or steady the wood by being pressed into it as hereafter described. These holders are suspended to the frame A on the rod Y. To the lower end of each of them is connected one end of each of the toggle joints Z, while their other ends are connected so as to be stationary, but to turn on the rod g attached to the back end ot' the machine, the middle portions of the togglejoints being jointed together by the pins z".

vVhen the stick of wood seen at B2, is placed between the holders X, and frame A, the central portion otl the toggle joints are raised by pulling down the weight J and cord K to which it is attached, and hooking it on the stud n, Figs. 2 and 3, which both raises the saw F, by the parts to which it is connected, and the toggle joints X, by the cord K2, the upper end of which is connected to the carriage C, and its lower ends (there being three of them) to each of the toggle joints. The wood being properly placed in the machine, as seen in the drawings, the weight J, is unhooked from the stud n, when the toggle joints Z will drop down at their central parts by the weights m, which press the holders X firmly against the Wood tor being sawed, the saw and parts connected to it being so weighted that the saw F, will be properly fed down by the weight of saw frame and carriage, to sever, or saw ott' the stick of wood and so on.

Use-All that is necessary in using my invention, is to place the wood B2 in the machine as just stated and turn the crank A2 by hand or any known motor, to give' movement to the saw F until the wood is sawed in two, then gull down the weight J, and hook it on to theV stud n, and move the stick B2 along for another sawing, then unhook the weight J, which lets the saw down upon the wood ready for sawing, and also the toggle joints down to tighten or hold the stick B2, by their connection and action with the holders Z and so on.

I claim- Holding the Wood to be sawed by means of the within described arrangement of holders X acted upon by4 toggle joints Z weighted at their centers or an equivalent arrangement, essentially in the manner and for the purposes fully set forth.

I STEPHEN VOODARD.

Witnesses ENoCH l). DAVIS, l-I. B. HUN'rooN. 

